Gretel steps out of the shadows
GRETEL Packer has made a rare public appearance to talk about her belief in the power of the arts to change lives.
Ms Packer, a member of the newly-formed NSW Arts and Culture Advisory Committee, is one of several well-known women who agreed to be photographed by Today personality Lisa Wilkinson for her new portrait exhibition entitled Women of Influence.
In an interview recorded before the shoot, she said creative arts had the power to heal, especially for children.
“I can see why short term people think they are easy dollars to cut from tight budgets, but it’s such a long-term mistake,” she said.
“When we support programs about delivering arts education in schools, what you have is children who might be truant on other days, are turning up to school on days when the arts programs are on, so you’ve got greatly improved attendance which follows on to better academic results.
“A lot of healing can happen.
“It depends on the quality of the teachers and the environment, but a lot of people have got some terrible things that have happened that area buried inside, and the arts is one of the ways that people can heal.”